You never get any time for yourself. You often give your last ounce of energy to the next person in line who requests another chunk of your precious time.

It’s frustrating.

You can’t cope with all this stress. You can’t help but wonder, will life always be like this?

You know you can’t go on like this for much longer.

Something has to change.

Have a look at these five stress busting strategies I use when life gets chaotic.

1. Say ‘Yes’ More Often

You’ve heard the advice before, just say no! Though sometimes saying no is more stressful than saying yes. If you’re like me, the thought of saying no to someone can trigger all sorts of uncomfortable feelings. Especially when you’re feeling stressed and vulnerable. You don’t want to offend anybody. You don’t want to burn bridges. After all, these people have helped you in the past so why shouldn’t you return the favor? I know the feeling. I found that during times of increased stress it has helped me to say yes, though with a limit.

“Yes, sure, I can pop over and help you with [INSERT FAVOR REQUEST] but I’ve only got thirty minutes to spare.”

By saying yes and including a time limit you remain in control of your time. You aren’t leaving yourself wide open to somebody who might think you have more time on your hands.

2. Don’t Meditate

It’s frustrating to try and sit down for fifteen minutes to meditate when the environment you’re in is noisy and disorderly. I have found it much more beneficial to actually stop meditating completely when life is more stressful than usual. You’ll find yourself feeding your stress by forcing yourself to meditate. If it isn’t going to happen, let it go. Instead, check in with your breathing and practice mindfulness as you go about your daily activities. Doing this for a few minutes a handful of times throughout the day feels much better than sitting for one longer meditation session.

3. Get Out of Bed Earlier

If you live in a chaotic household it’s no fun starting the day feeling stressed. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and leaves you feeling like you’re chasing your tail until bed time. The solution to this is simple. Rather than getting up at the same time as everybody else, get up earlier and use the time for yourself. This could be valuable time to journal, write a to-do list or simply be in silence. You’ll start the day feeling calmer and ready to tackle your priorities

4. Start Having ‘Quiet Time’

If like me you live in a busy and sometimes noisy environment consider implementing just thirty minutes of ‘quiet time’ into your daily routine. Silence can do wonders for reducing stress levels. Research studies conclude that exposure to sounds that are prologued and consistent increase stress levels significantly.

In our house we have decided, as a family, to have thirty minutes of silence every evening. That doesn’t mean you have to sit there staring at each other stifling silly giggles. Use the time productively. The children can either read a book or do some drawing whilst the adults of your household can simply sit with each other, read or just enjoy the moment with your eyes shut.

5. How to Defeat Stress: Render it Powerless!

The clock will never stop ticking. The situations you find yourself in won’t last forever. Everything is temporary. So let go of your frustrations and instead really feel and live what you are going through. Rather than being affected by your emotions stop and take some time to observe them. Flip stress on its head and use it in your favor. I find that when I’m experiencing a particularly stressful period of time, and when I accept that I cannot change the circumstance, I not only handle it a lot better I feel better. When you accept that you cannot control everything that is going on around you start to see it from a different perspective. You start to feel different about the situation and that, ultimately, renders it powerless. You can experience adversity without being affected by it. But it takes work.

There’s no doubt about it, stress sucks.

It’s overwhelming and draining.

When you’re pulled in every direction it feels like your existing, not living.

But you want to change that. And you can.

You can quit this toxic cycle of chaos and start living the calm life you desire.

Just pick one of the strategies above and use it consistently for the next week and see how you feel. Then add another. Over time you’ll start to notice how lighter and happier you feel.

But only you can make it happen.

I’m routing for you.

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Russell is on a mission to simplify one million overwhelmed lives. He wants to help you gain control of your overwhelming and stressful life so you can live with more calm and fulfillment. Get the free toolkit 14 Ways to Create a Calm Life.

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ERIN FALCONER!

Erin shows overscheduled, overwhelmed women how to do less so that they can achieve more. Traditional productivity books—written by men—barely touch the tangle of cultural pressures that women feel when facing down a to-do list. How to Get Sh*t Done will teach you how to zero in on the three areas of your life where you want to excel, and then it will show you how to off-load, outsource, or just stop giving a damn about the rest.